BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 375 
of Mr. Newman’s ‘ Phytologist.’ These ‘ Notes’ evince great accuracy, 
diligence, and uncommon research, and an extensive reading of all 
works, foreign as well as English, which could in any way illustrate 
the subject. He says, with great truth, at the commencement of his 
communication : * In presenting the readers of the * Phytologist’ with 
the following list of Hampshire plants, my object has been to promote 
our knowledge of the geographical distribution of the species in Britain, 
which important branch of philosophical botany is now, through the 
impulse happily given to it by the labours of Mr. H. C. Watson, 
beginning to receive its due share of attention in this country ; and the 
time is gone by when such catalogues are to be viewed, and their 
utility measured by their fitness, as vehicles for the communication of 
mere rarities to the collector.” The whole essay would be well worth 
printing as a separate work, and be invaluable to every student of the 
botany of Hants. 
But if the botany of Hampshire claimed a great share of Dr. Brom- 
field’s attention, that of the Isle of Wight, his head-quarters for the 
last fourteen years of his life, was especially interesting to him, and his 
chief energies were directed to the preparation of a flora of that 
island. So anxious was he to make this flora perfect, that while other 
botanists might have deemed two years sufficient to investigate and 
publish the vegetation of so limited a spot, our valued and lamented 
friend did not think that at the end of fourteen years he had accom- 
plished all that ought to be performed ; and thus, advanced as we know 
the MSS. to be, and much as had been done by him for a botanico-geo- 
graphical and geological map of the island with all the accuracy of 
that of the Ordnance survey which was the groundwork of it, and 
under the full persuasion that “ another summer's " work would com- 
plete his flora, the “ Flora Vectis” or “ Flora Vectensis ” (the exact — 
title was not decided) still only exists in manuscript.* It was not given - 
him to pass another summer in his favoured and favourite island. — 
He had indeed been unwearied in his researches into every nook 
and corner of the Isle of Wight, in the interior, and on the coast, 
“isle and islet, creek and bay,” and scarcely any summer elapsed with- 
out his being rewarded with some discovery. Wild and cultivated 
localities were alike explored by him, and his visits, at first not 
* Si i i | authority, that the MS, — 
is all Le bou adir A ad ES ac ra 4 | 
VOL. III. 3c 
